Failing to empathise with the reader is one of the most common mistakes businesses make when they write a marketing message.
And it’s no wonder why that’s the case – when your product team slaves away on a new innovation for months and it’s finally ready to go to market, all you want to do is talk about how awesome it is and how excited people should be that it’s available.
But while you’re deeply invested in your product and all the consideration that went into making it, your prospect doesn’t have any reason to care. To connect with a prospect, you need to tell them a story they already know – their story.
And if you want to explain how your product is going to fit into their story, you first need to understand what their story is. That’s why knowing your audience is the first and most fundamental rule of marketing.
So how do you talk TO your customers, rather than AT them?
Don’t just sell – empathise
Legendary ad writer Robert Collier once said something that great marketers love to repeat: “Always enter the conversation already taking place in the customer’s mind.” What he’s basically saying is: Empathise with your reader.
If you’re selling a new type of toothpaste that whitens teeth, for example, don’t send a message talking about the brilliant science and innovation that went into the formula. Talk about what having yellow teeth feels like. Show your prospect that you understand their frustration and pain.
The blood, sweat and tears you put into making a great product probably came from a passion to solve a real problem that real people go through, so show your care and consideration in your messaging. Every message should be a human-to-human interaction, even if it’s on behalf of a company selling something.
The art of conversation
You’re not holding prospects hostage and force-feeding them information about your product and what you care about. That’s never going to sell, stand out or inspire trust. Your marketing messaging, if done correctly, is an ongoing conversation.
Think of your business like a service provider and your audience like clients. Lawyers have long-term clients that fund their business, as do doctors and personal trainers. Your relationship with your audience should be the same – an ongoing and lucrative arrangement that benefits both parties.
And in order to achieve that, your marketing needs to be understanding, empathetic and always conversational.
